Missourians to Vote in August to Accept or Reject Federal Health Care Law

​The Missouri House today passed legislation calling for a referendum on the federal health care law signed by the president earlier this year.

As St. Louis Public Radio reports, the legislation approved today does not require approval from the governor or Senate. The measure states that citizens and employers cannot be
forced to participate in any public or private health care system and should not be required to purchase insurance.

The statewide vote on the legislation will take place August 3 -- making Missouri the first state to vote on whether or not to reject or accept the federal health care law. Three other states have similar votes in November. Democrats in the House, meanwhile, doubt the outcome of the vote will have any impact in excluding Missouri from federal law, and say the referendum is solely about political gain.

"This is one of a number of
election-year stunts that we've seen come before this body this
year...it's trying to feed public hysteria about the new federal health
care bill, and it's trying to drive a certain segment of people to the
polls," state Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford (D - St. Louis) tells KWMU.